This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Prior to installing a door within a door frame, such as a wood or metal door frame, the opening must be entirely square and plumb. Specifically, the vertical and horizontal jambs must all be in the same plane and, further, the vertical jamb portions must be precisely parallel. If the door jambs are out of square (i.e. one corner is not in planar alignment with the others) and/or if the vertical jambs are not precisely parallel, the door will not fit or hang properly. For example, the door can rub or stick against frame or ground or have uneven or unsightly gaps between the door and frame.
Therefore, it is important to initially and properly align the frame, whether it be metal or wood, to provide for ease of installation of the door. In addition, it is important to periodically check the alignment of the frame to determine if the frame has shifted or become out of square due to time, foundation shifting, and environmental conditions. Often, framing is installed or measured by one technician and the doors are subsequently installed or measured by another technician. Currently, the only method of measuring the alignment of door and window frames is to use a standard tape measure. Tape measures inherently are flexible and can sag or bend across their length, which can often times provide inaccurate readings when measuring long distances. Further, there is room for substantial amount of human error to occur that can give to inaccurate readings. For example, one end of the tape measure (proximal end) may not be in contact with one end of the frame/wall and/or the other end (distal end) may not be extended as far or in direct contact with the other end of the frame/wall being measured. Further, due to the inconsistency and non-uniformity of each technician using a tape measure, the door frame measurements tend to be skewed from one measurement taken by one technician from measurements taken by another technician on the same door frame. Hence, the lack of accurate and consistent measurements of a door frame could eventually lead to structural damage to either the frame, door, or both.
Hence, what is needed is an apparatus for measuring door and window frames that can provide consistent and accurate results, is simple to use and operate, heavy duty, and can standardize door frame measuring techniques.